Despite all the safety measures and precautions conducted by the airline officers and owners, there are still a growing number of people who are having a hard time in overcoming fear of flying. Experts say that this fear may stem from the person’s bad experience during one of his or her flights. Studies show that many that have developed fear of flying are the ones who are used to travel via plane before. This is because of the frequency, it is inevitable for them to experience an bad occurrence at some point. These bad experiences may include prolonged or heavy turbulence that is caused by natural phenomenon such as bad weather or an aborted flight wherein the airplane needs to take an emergency landing that is usually caused by mechanical failures.
Another reason for this fear is the person is exposed too much on media coverage on various tragic accidents in the air which instill a fear for his or her life. Studies show that people who have witnessed an extensive coverage of an aerial accident are prone to having aviophobia sooner or later.
Starting to overcome the fear
If you are one of those who have developed this fear and you would want to overcome it, here are simple step-by-step procedures that you can follow:
FIRST STEP: Conduct a thorough research. Indeed, knowledge is power. If you are aware about the basics of flight and air travel, your mind can tell you how to control your fear. Aviophobia stem from over anxiety about tragic air accidents. It is also a result of a misunderstanding and lack of enough knowledge on flights and the technicalities of the aircraft itself. If you are able to educate yourself on these things, it will be easier for you to understand and realize that some of your fears on flying could be far-fetched.
SECOND STEP: Clear your mind before and during the flight. Fear of flying is a phobia caused by untoward incidents that might happen in the air. Experts say that this fear is all in the mind of the person. So, if the person tries to clear his or her mind from things that might happen, he or she might be able to overcome the fear in no time. To clear your mind off negative thoughts, you can try practicing relaxation techniques before and during the flight such as breathing that is controlled, rejection of negative thinking by making a conscious effort, and indulging into distractions such as reading, listening to music or watching airline movies.
THIRD STEP: Learn about “desensitization.” Experts say that this process is usually conducted during a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) wherein the person who has developed fear in flying is slowly exposed to the conditions of flying until he or she is able to face the fears and learn to overcome them.
FOURTH STEP: Seek professional help. Some people have deep-rooted aviophobia that is why they are having a hard time overcoming fear of flying. If you think that your phobia on flying has reached bigger proportions and it already affects your life in general, it is best to consult a professional to check on you. This professional can either be a psychologist or a psychiatrist who can check your emotional and even your mental health if needed. The doctor will recommend some treatment options such as drug therapy. If you have a mild condition, he or she will teach you relaxation techniques that you can administer at home in managing and controlling your anxiety attacks.